Jon Oliva, the king of heavy metal, if you don’t mind me calling him that, is back. Every two years, he releases a new record, which should please all metal fans and especially the Savatage fans. And to be honest, do we still need Savatage, if we have Jon Oliva’s Pain? It’s no surprise, this record sounds completely like Savatage. Considering, there’s also Circle II Circle (Zak Stevens’ band) to ease the remaining pain for the loss of Savatage and we have double the fun.Can Jon still release something original or is he repeating himself? The answer is yes to both questions. He is off course repeating himself, putting all the known Savatage and Oliva’s classic clichés on this album, but he also keeps being original by using elements he didn’t use before. In “Afterglow”, there’s a jazzy piece on piano and in “The Evil Within” you can hear his first psychedelic steps.From a guitar oriented “Lies” to a more keyboards containing and heavier “Death Rides a Black Horse”, from heavy symphonic tracks to ballads, everything you expect from Jon is on this album.The title song, which opens with some festival noises, has the potential to become a classic like “Gutter Ballet” or “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and it’s not the only song on “Festival” that can get this nomination. While listening to the album, I almost get this feeling during every track.“Looking For Nothing” is a short ballad or rather a lullaby that can put every baby to sleep and if he’s still awake after this, you can put on “Now”, the final track. Jon has a great voice, both in the heavy parts and in the more quiet pieces. Most of his songs start quiet and explode after a while, showing all his vocal abilities during every song. The best example and also the best track on “Festival” is “Winter Haven”, a track which bundles all the known Oliva tricks in one.With two guitar virtuoso in the band, it’s no surprise, every song contains great solos. Jon has put together a fine band of highly skilled musicians. And as on every Pain release, Criss Oliva, Jon’s deceased brother, is not far away. His tapes were used on “Lies”, “Death Rides A Black Horse”, “Now” and “The Evil Within”. “Now” was even written by Jon and Criss. Don’t hesitate and attend this ‘festival’ of classic heavy metal.

Nederlands:

Coming asap

Tracklist:

01. Lies (06:18)02. Death Rides A Black Horse (05:28)03. Festival (04:22)04. Afterglow (06:50)05. Living On The Edge (05:10)06. Looking For Nothing (02:42)07. The Evil Within (04:36)08. Winter Haven (07:38)09. I Fear You (05:11)10. Now (03:51)